97 Ferrari 456 GTA bought in auction

[fastgerman]

Buonasera

Well this has got to be pretty high up on the Brave Pill scale; a Ferrari 456 GTA bought through Collecting Cars, having been stored for 3 years with a flat battery.

As you can see my profile name isn’t something usually associated with this type of car and I was on the site looking at a 997 GTS... but, well, front engined, 4 seater, V12 Ferrari with pop up headlights!

One of my favourite parts of acquiring a car in this circumstance is the investigation. The original owner was Paul Weiland (Director for Blackadder and Mr Bean) in 97 who purchased the car at Maranello in Egham. The car was looked after by Maranello till 02, then DK Engineering till 05 and then things go hazy until 2016. In 2016 the car went to Rardleys Ferrari Specialist with an overhaul bill at £9,970, followed by Dick Lovett Ferrari in Swindon carrying out further overhaul work at £7,371.

It went to storage with Ed Rudler for 3 years and now I am the ‘lucky owner’ who has arranged transport to Rardleys next week for a cambelt service, fluids, filters, plugs and an MOT - hoping for change from £2k.

Wish me luck :-)





















Engine sound - https://youtu.be/J8sG1Louhvs


Reg - P343HBC

Back on the road - See Page 6 and 7 for overhaul update at Rardley Ferrari after storage

Carpool Feature - https://www.pistonheads.com/news/ph-carpool/ferrar...

Edited by fastgerman on Saturday 26th December 13:59

[fastgerman]

Thanks All

Good shout on the Rowan Atkinson article, link anyone?

I found this quote, which is pretty incredible:

That was also the article in which he hit a pheasant with said car and did 1500 worth of paint damage..
He said : 'the pheasant didn't suffer, though it probably regretted some of its pension contributions'

I found this on Paul McKenna (the 2nd owner/bill payer and you can see his name on the DK Engineering receipts above) - https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/interview-me-an...

Even more interesting is that the 2nd owner on the V5 record was Clare Staples, so he put the car in her name. It's like the Daily Mail checking out this cars history. Apparently she tried to extort money from him. Errrr
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/1649067/hypnotist-pa...

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ferrisbueller said:

I'm guessing some of the gap in the history was while it was taken off the road to be repaired. I did wonder how a Cat D car had all original paint.

Yes this is an interesting one as I have an invoice with some details in 2011 from Devonshire Classics and there is still MOT's going. The Cat D is 2011, it then has no history from 2012 to 2016 (maybe in storage), then a huge repair bill at Rardleys end of 2016.

Cat D is non-structural damage, with repair bills over 50% of the cars value. In 2011 this car was worth around £20k, so it only needed £9.5k of damage + some car hire costs etc for the owner. Everything including boot, doors, bumpers and bonnet look like original parts but it's definitely had some paint. The first Paul McKenna link above states that a taxi door scraped down the side of the car so it needed paint in the early 2000's.

I think (along with my car viewing buddy) that an owner in 2011 tried to put through mechanical issues on the insurance. There is £17k spent after it's hibernation getting it back on the road and none of the invoices have anything to do with paint/body/structure, it's all mechanical stuff.

The Dick Lovetts Health Check in 2017 makes no reference to bodywork etc and while I have no way of knowing for sure, the price means I have some repair contingency :-).

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DevonLad said:

Lovely looking thing, I'm assuming the mot tester got a little carried away with the 8 button whilst typing up the 2009 mot.

Haha yes just noticed that :-)

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Amazing old Top Gear vid, this followed which is equally incredible - https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gf20FKWrbM4

I’ve started following Ratarossa who has a few YouTube videos on fixing 456 suspension actuators and door modules. Quite a few parts shared with other cars and companies that refurbish parts or offer improved solutions. Worth a follow if you have a project Ferrari

[fastgerman]

Thanks guys and appreciate the good wishes on the service bill!

Hopefully some transport pics to add on Wednesday next week, then I can probably look forward to a fright on Halloween when I get the invoice.

I’m liking the look of the 550 wheels, thoughts?



I’m going to have a go sorting the leather dashboard out myself. For those that didn’t see the auction, the passenger airbag leather was coming loose along with the area above the air vents. Lots of stuff on the Ferrari Chat forum to follow. Mechanicals I won’t be touching but at least I have some more ideas of where to source parts from thanks to Ratarossa. Worth watching his 456 videos, also very possible to spin the wheels in the auto as he shows.

Regarding manual cars, firstly they weren’t in budget but also this car suits an auto just like the 928 GTS. We are 4 in the family so looking forward to putting the boys in the back seats and taking a drive to a Goodwood Sunday Breakfast soon :-)

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Assume that’s the radiator on the vid above?

The Racing Green 456 is stunning!

Pretty 50/50 on the wheels :-)

Cheers All

Another vid, this time Tyrrell’s Classic - https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=O2_s7BkSi1I

Edited by fastgerman on Thursday 24th September 19:03

[fastgerman]

First purchase to keep in the boot if the windows fail me haha:

[fastgerman]

Thanks guys and we’ll find out if I’m a legend or loser shortly haha

Pictures of the Atkinson article please :-)

Thanks for the recommendations on books and events, think I went to a Brooklands AutoItalia event by mistake after being bought an AMG experience.

Matt (PH) has asked me to write a Car Pool, which I’ll do after I’ve driven the car properly. Probably won’t get it back until end of Oct. I’ll ask Rardleys to send me some pictures along the way along with Rudler’s who are transporting.

Edited by fastgerman on Saturday 26th September 11:43

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Thanks 5pen! amazing you have this article still :-)

Will check out Jayemm also, cheers

Re - other owners:

2004 - 2006, 3rd owner is Michael Barratt, who appears to be a TV Presenter if it's the same person.

2006 - 2010, Tony Conetta who is Director of 'Scotland's largest independent restaurant operator'. This owner would have used the Douglas Park Ltd MOT station, which seems to be BMW Group? Would have been nice if they retrofitted some E36 window regulators.

Next few owners appear to be in 'Capital Management' type stuff... then down to Cornwall, then Devon (owned by Devon Classic Cars from 2014 - 2016), back to London with 'Capital Management' type stuff (I won't type his name as it appears some sort of Bitcoin fraudulent activity haha), then to the person I bought the car from who runs Hortons Books specialising in rare and limited addition Automotive books.

Other parts information I have found out:
- Suspension is Bilstein, which can be refurbished by Bilstein for not too much ££.
- Suspension actuators are also used on Maserati and some Corvette's, these can also be refurbished and there are several on eBay for £300 ish (£1k new each).
- Oil filled suspension cylinders/accumulators which are £600 ish from Ferrari are also the same as on a similar period BMW 7 series for £150 ish.
- According to Rardleys the auto gearbox is American and pretty bullet proof. Must be interesting gearing if it can wheel spin but also manage 190 mph in 4th gear.
- I'm sure I'll find out other parts along the way.

[fastgerman]

[quote=5pen]As promised. I hope it’s legible.



Awesome thanks so much!

Love this picture, you can imagine him asking Baldrick to take a good photo :-)

Think I need to find a car phone with the cord for the arm rest also, too cool.

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67Dino said:

Congratulations. Loved mine, think it’s a vastly underrated car. Does need a lot of maintenance but then that’s why there’s a discount on the £100k buying price these should be worth. The V12 would be worth that alone. Enjoy!

PS Good article vs Daytona in this one too...

Edited by 67Dino on Monday 28th September 09:58

Great find also, I'm attempting to write a Car Pool for the 456 and I remember my Dad taking me to Maranello Egham or perhaps it was nearer Bagshot in the late 80's / early 90's. I remember seeing the Daytona and not thinking much of it as it was parked next to an F40. The salesmen always let us take brochures away which made my weekend.

[fastgerman]

The journey begins after 3 years in storage. Off to Rardleys for a cambelt service, MOT and some other electrical bits.

Edited by fastgerman on Wednesday 30th September 12:24

[fastgerman]

So the current list after she’s had a new battery fitted and been taken for a road test:
- suspension is very hard, potentially a simple electrical fix - £18 switch. It may be simulating hard braking.
- engine and gearbox sound fine, fluids will be changed and previously inspected sounds could have just been from the car sitting for 3 years.
- a/c not working, try re-gas first. Heater not working, could be thermostat or another switch needed.
- passenger door lock pin bouncing up and down.
- drivers mirror not electrically adjustable.
- drivers door window switches to be replaced and air vent surround.
- rear spoiler not working (under the bumper), had no idea the car had active aero!
- service, cambelt change and mot required.
- paint required to all window frames - must have had a cover over as roof needs a good mechanical polish also.

That list isn’t too bad...

Edited by fastgerman on Friday 2nd October 08:14

[fastgerman]

Cheers Guys,

So, I might attempt the window surrounds being sanded and painted, once upon a time I split some BBS RS's and refurbed so have some skills - my blog http://fastgerman.com/forum/garage/

I've seen some guides on Ferrari Chat about refurbishing / tightening the leather on the dashboard and passenger airbag, so will give this a go.

If the car needs parts such as accumulators, actuators, Bilstein shock refurb etc then I might get involved in the sourcing depending on the garages prices. Otherwise anything mechanical and electrical will be done at Rardleys and I'll do some cosmetics.

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V12GT said:

Owned a 456 from 2010-14. Beautiful car and I'd been admiring them since they were new. Mine was a 1999 model (so the 'M' or Modificata), with various minor changes to the engine and removal of the active aero under the rear, as I believe it was pretty unreliable.

Minor problems included driver's door being unable to be opened from the inside (first drive after buying!); the typical Ferrari 'sticky switches' that you either spend a lot to fix or learn to live with and the aircon needing regassing.

Major problems were two of the coolant hoses splitting on separate occasions. The first, shortly after I bought the car, was just forward of the passenger wheelarch and was fixed by the AA on the roadside. The second, a couple of years later, was in the middle of the V and required a lot of expensive work. The view was that they'd perished over time and they are a weak point, especially the one in the V, which gets very hot from the engine.

Despite spending probably £10k on repairs, it still sold for more than I'd paid for it + repairs. I do regret selling, but I need to at the time.

Hope the OP has as much fun with it as I had with mine. It's the one car I've owned that I've always looked back at when walking away and think how lucky I am to own it.

Always good selling a car for more than you paid and what a great car to do that with :-).

I can see there are some dark blue Samco type hoses and some receipts for this work in the middle of the V, so that's good to know. Hoping for little else in the first year and perfectly happy with approx. £2k a year in maintenance. Ed Rudler (where mine was stored) has a 550 and says he has 2 years of £1k ish and the 3rd year is usually around £3k ish at cambelt time.

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Popped over to Rardleys to drop the recent invoices off. Great to meet Martin, the head mechanic and absolute gent. This is probably going to end up being my favourite place to visit and you almost feel like you could be in Italy. With the parts vans in yellow and a number of older Ferrari’s - 3 x 348’s in, a Mondial, 599 and a very nice Green 456 next to mine.

Good fun having a poke around the car and being able to see everything, which isn’t that common in other garages today. Can’t imagine having the same access to the car with my old 997 at Guildford Porsche.

I’m already missing the smell of petrol, Ferrari pictures on the walls and the happy faces on everyone.

Anyway, here’s a couple of pics:

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Wow imagine that was a heart stopping moment!

Seems most issues are electrics, there is a good Ratarossa link where he goes around the various plugs in the engine bay, cleans them up and applies some sort of conducting grease.

There is quite a ‘nuts and bolts’ feel to this car, which in some ways is similar to a Porsche 993.

Does anyone know if there are aftermarket solutions for door modules? BMW had no issues with the e36. Mine has 2 sets of invoices where they’re been investigated, hopefully it doesn’t all need re-wiring.

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I think you’re right Julian. I see the car at some angles and think it looks under wheeled but it seems less common to fit different wheels in the Ferrari world than say Porsche.

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Not really no, but it’s also not going into hibernation.

Most likely driven once every week or two on dry days. I do think it would be cool to drive to this place in the winter though - https://www.resortragaz.ch/en/

We’ll definitely drive to Denmark next summer so need to get the car safe and reliable.